David Beckham to be awarded knighthood by King Charles, according to media reports

David Beckham, the former England soccer captain who has been an ambassador for the UN children's fund for two decades, is to receive a knighthood in next week's honours list from King Charles III, according to U.K. media reports Friday.

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Without citing sources, the BBC said Beckham is set to receive further recognition both for his soccer career and his contributions to British society. The knighthood will make Beckham "Sir David" while his wife, since 1999, former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, will become "Lady Beckham." In 2003, Beckham was awarded the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, for soccer services. Victoria Beckham got the same honour for services to the fashion industry in a later New Year's Honours list. Honours are awarded twice a year, once at New Year's, and then in June to mark the king's birthday. They are mostly made on the recommendation of the government, though the monarch has input too. Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office would not confirm the press reports, as is custom. Buckingham Palace declined to comment. The Associated Press has not been able to independently confirm the award of the knighthood, which was first reported in The Sun tabloid newspaper.